A Taste Of Heaven

[Violette Taps]

AGreek donair turkey sausage featuring notes of cumin, oregano and thyme, covered by a blanket of fresh diced tomatoes, cucumber and red onion. Experience a taste of the Mediterranean when you bite into our Greek-style sausage drizzled with a tangy, yogurt-based tzatziki, topped with crumbled feta.

A mild Italian fennel sausage dressed in hot, grilled onions, juicy red and green peppers, topped with the richness of grated mozzarella, a balsamic reduction and pesto, and garnished with freshly chopped basil. The taste of Italia will come to life when you savour the flavour of a light pesto spread.

A Mediterranean lamb sausage paired with our specialty Jerk Sauce and house-made Pineapple Chow, topped with crispy plantain chips. Experience the holy trinity of this blend when sweet salsa and fiery heat meet the savoury notes of tender lamb. Let the taste of this Trinidadian inspired sausage whisk you away to a paradise of flavours.

Producing delicious, handmade sausages, the Stapleton family uses lean meat (not trimmings) raised mostly in the Fraser Valley, with natural casings, and quality ingredients. And an added bonus to the fantastic flavour, these sausages are much lower in fat than others on the market. Stapleton sausages are preservative and gluten free, and contain no MSG or nitrates!

I spent last weekend on the top of a mountain in Mesquite, Texas. If you know Texas topography, you may be wondering if I somehow lost my way. A 360-degree scan of the Dallas region shows a landscape devoid of heights.

I first met Peggy in Siberia over fifteen years ago. We, along with others from around the United States, traveled there together on a mission to share the gospel message with orphans, elders, and addicted people in rehabs. Every year for about six years, Peggy and I served the Lord together in a frozen tundra on the other side of the world.

To honor our sister in Christ, some friends from the Siberia teams traveled to Texas. Others joined the reunion through Zoom. Most of us have not seen one another in five years because of restrictions on travel to Russia. For some, the absence spanned more than a decade.

Nevertheless, the physical separation melted away in the presence of this family united by the Holy Spirit of Jesus. The bond of our eternal love, one that time cannot break, remains strong. We reminisced about the goodness of God. About His faithfulness through trials. His comfort in sorrow. And the joy of serving Him with wholehearted devotion. We reminded Peggy that she made a difference not only for eternity but also in each of our lives individually.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (John 13:34-35 NLT)

We need to get up close and personal, into the inner circle beyond the faade we often present. Life gets messy in that zone. Cry, rejoice, and laugh together. You may argue or offend, but then forgive and restore. Love that supports and overcomes offers a taste of heaven to a hungry world.

We share our struggles with sin so the family of God can love and support us with prayer and accountability (James 5:16). As we pray, we join the spiritual battle waged in the heavenly realm.

Your message brought sunshine to my day, Annie. Such love an inspiration shared through your words. So glad you had this reunion to honor your friend Peggy and her work to serve Jesus. Thank you for sharing love and light on this beautiful spring day.

God definitely uses our spiritual family to build us up. I wonder sometimes what joy we miss when we neglect to invest in these eternal relationships here on earth. Thanks for adding to the conversation, Candyce.

What an amazing woman, friendship and glimpse into heaven. I laughed when I first read this was Mesquite TX. We lived in the DFW area so knew there were no mountains. But with God, we can find mountain tops anywhere. Thanks for sharing Annie.

Last year, during Bourbon Heritage Month, I decided to two publish two tastings on Wednesday to honor the occasion. I am continuing that tradition this year. This blog presents the Heaven Hill seven year old Bottled-in-Bond and the Medley Brothers Bourbons.

Heaven Hill at one time had a six year old Bottled-in-Bond that was only available in Kentucky. This was an inexpensive Bourbon that tasted like a very expensive Bourbon. It was underpriced for what it was. As the Bourbon boom continued, Heaven Hill discontinued that Bourbon and came out with a more expensive seven year old version of the brand that was not available in Kentucky. I can understand the hike in price because as I said before, the six year old was underpriced, but not why it was not available in Kentucky. I found a bottle and Matt and I have tasted it. It is still a very good Bourbon and priced as it should be.

The other Bourbon we are tasting is Medley Brothers. Charles Medley and his son Sam revived this old Medley brand to be a companion brand to their Wathens Single Barrel Bourbon. This is a lower price point brand than the Wathens, but still of the high quality I would expect from Charles and Sam. The brand refers to the five Medley Brothers that started distilling together after the repeal of Prohibition. The label has the traditional look of the original brand.

What do you get when you combine flavor-packed Hawaiian shortbread cookies, crunchy Hawaiian mac nuts, and sinfully rich Hawaiian chocolate confections? You get the Taste of Heaven Gift Box from Hawaii's Local Buzz. It's a divine taste sensation and a lovely way to show someone you care.

Tim raved about the food, and I miss real-deal barbecue (my favorite in the area, All Friends Smokehouse in Westport, closed its doors about a year ago), so on a recent Thursday afternoon, my friend Sam and I stopped by to check out if they really were serving up authentic Southern-style barbecue with all the fixings.

The menu is typical BBQ, with splashes of Cape Verdean influences. There are burgers, hot dogs, linguica rolls and steak-and-cheese sandwiches, but we went straight for the dinners. They offer ribs, pulled pork, pork chops and fried chicken.

I wanted to try as much as possible, so I went for the ribs and chicken ($15.95). After asking which sides were homemade and being told they all are, I opted for baked beans and potato salad, while Sam went with collard greens and cole slaw. We added a side order of mac and cheese for $4.50.

As we sat, sipping our drinks (Snapple and bottled water, $2 each) we chatted with Trenton Jenkins, the husband of owner Danielle. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by way of Buffalo, they got their start serving out of a tent in the parking lot of the Onset Foursquare Church a dozen years ago.

I opened my box and the smells of slow-cooked pork ribs billowed out. I had three large untrimmed spareribs, two pieces of fried chicken (a drumstick and a very large thigh) and good-sized servings of potato salad and baked beans.

I dove into the sauces, starting with the sweet and smoky, which turned out to be my favorite. All three were complex and fairly thin, with the Carolina giving off a yellow hue. The hot was not overwhelming at all, still allowing you to taste the meat, while the Carolina was tangy with heavy notes of vinegar and mustard.

Both the sides were spot-on, as well. The beans were slightly sweet, smooth and creamy, topped with chunks of bacon. The potatoes were well-cooked and doused in a mayonnaise-based dressing and topped with a healthy coating of paprika.

I traded Sam a rib for a few bites of his pulled pork, which he had doused in the Carolina sauce (his favorite was the hot, which was my least favorite, so try them all!). The pulled pork was incredibly moist, you could tell it had been truly slow-cooked so the fat had melted into the stringy perfection. It was served atop a nicely toasted sub roll.

Not to sound too cliche, but the macaroni and cheese is how your grandmother made it, starting from a rue and into a bechamel and baked in the oven for that special clumpy, gooey texture. Made with chewy cavatappi pasta, it was true fill-your-belly comfort food.

Our final bill was $38.82, and I took home a full chicken thigh and half the mac and cheese. Trenton was a pleasure, and as we were leaving he asked that if we had enjoyed it, to please post on social media.

Dine Out's reviewer visits restaurants unannounced and at his or her discretion. The Standard-Times pays for the meals reviewed. The reviews merely reflect one diner's experience. Ratings range from 1 to 5 stars.

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